Five Times
by Fluff.and.Rainbows
Summary: Robin and Kid Flash Weren't in a Long Term Relationship  and One Time They Were . Slash, KF/Robin.


_****_**Warning. **Bromance turned romance, slash.

**Disclaimer.** I do not own anything DC related (except some pins. It's expanded from just a Green Lantern pin to include a Flash, Superman, and Batman pin, too), so _Young Justice_ is mos def not mine.

* * *

><p><em><strong>That Awkward Moment When You Realize Your Best Friend is Practically your Boyfriend <strong>_

_or Five Times (technically ten?) Robin and Wally Weren't in a Long Term Relationship and One Time They Were_

* * *

><p><strong>1. <strong>

It's practically a "happy couple staple," isn't it? Knowing exactly what to do, what to say, or what to get to make your partner happy after a bad day, without them actually having to say anything? Your girlfriend's upset; you rent a box set of that shitty television drama she loves so much and sit through a marathon with her. Your boyfriend isn't feeling well; you go out and buy him cough medicine and that disgusting grapefruit soda he can't get enough of. It's just a thing couples _do_, isn't it?

Dick was having a bad day. Or, wait, no, bad _week_. Training could have gone ten _thousand_ times better, Batman (friggin' _Bruce_) was being a million times more _Batman-y_, and Alfred had taken the week off. No missions but no spare time. Black Canary may not be the (goddamn) Batman, but she was a ruthless trainer, and one can only take so many hits from Superboy before they get sick of it.

So, yeah, kind of a bad week. Not the worst, but still not a _good_ week, either.

Robin sighed and slouched down on the couch in the "family room" of Mount Justice. There was no signal, as usual, and Robin sourly blamed Superboy. He'd forgotten his X-Box, and he still had repairs to do on his wrist hook up. No TV, no games, and where the heck was everyone else?

"Oh, Boy Wonderful~" Wally sing-songed, zipping into the room with a paper bag in one hand and a satchel over one shoulder. "Heard from Canary someone wasn't having a good week. I brought take-out and enough violent video games to worry a psychiatrist. You in?"

Robin grinned and snatched the paper bag out of Wally's hands. "For once, KF, perfect timing."

* * *

><p>Going to public school kind of sucks. No matter what Dick said about Gotham Academy, Wally would rather be going <em>there<em> (I mean, have you _seen_ their science labs? Great Scott!) than his school any day. As an added bonus, his best friend would be there, in person, instead of just on comm.

But, no, he was stuck at his boring public school, with his powers stuck on slow-mo not to give himself away, dodge ball in gym (_again_), and no Dick.

"Hey," he heard over the comm. he and the Boy Wonder wore pretty much twenty-four seven (after Robin had stolen and hacked a pair of them for he and Wally to talk on without the rest of the team). "We're getting out early. Apparently, someone set fire to the science department. I'm not gonna name names, but..."

Wally had to hide a snort and said under his breath, "Bats is gonna _kill you_."

"Ha!" There was the sound of a door opening, Alfred's voice, and an engine starting up. "I was careful. He won't know, and what he doesn't know, doesn't get me extra training. Right, Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Dick," he heard Alfred say, and he could practically _hear_ the eye roll.

"See?"

The bell rang for next period, and Wally raced (at normal human speed) out of his classroom and into the hallway, where he could talk to Dick without looking quite so crazy. "Dude, I wish I was out. I have two more classes; this day is taking way too long!"

"No worries, KF. I have a surprise for you."

"Surprise? If there's something in my locker again, I swear-"

"No, no!" Dick laughed, and Wally couldn't help a grin. "Just go to your next class. Trust me."

In his next class, Wally got called to the office. His "Uncle Barry" had called and was picking him up. In the parking lot was no Uncle Barry, however, but a Boy Wonder and an Alfred.

"Dude!" Wally quickly got in the car, grinning over at his best friend. "I think I love you."

"Oh, you should, because we're going to a buffet, then the arcade. I rented it out. Happy Monday."

* * *

><p><strong>2. <strong>

Another "happy couple staple:" Finishing each others sentences, thoughts, reading each others faces... You know you've spent too much time together when you can read your partner's face and just _know_ that they hate this movie, that the waiter is creeping them out, or that they had a bad day in English.

The team (sans M'gann and Wally, of course) have a hard time reading the Boy Wonder sometimes. It's bad enough they can't know his name, but they can't see his face either. Artemis has never had such a thing against sunglasses before (or the English language. If she hears "whelmed" one more time, she's going to stab him). So, when Robin snaps or suddenly vanishes or smiles or _anything_, it's kind of a surprise. The only one not whelmed at all (someone's getting stabbed) is always, _always_ Wally.

The others don't know how much it gets to him when he needs saving, or when Batman has to lecture him, or he screws up, but Wally does. The rest of the team can buy into the nonchalant remarks, all the waving it off, so when he finally snaps, frustrated with himself and them for not _getting it_, they _don't get it_.

But Wally does.

"Robin, I know you feel you could have done more on today's mission-" Kaldur started to say, and before Robin could even open his mouth to give a snarky, scathing, sarcastic remark back, Wally was suddenly out of his side, arm slung around the boy's shoulders.

"I think we should celebrate. It's another successful mission! How about we order pizza? And I think I can make the TV work. You guys in?" He grinned, and he got the responses he expected from the team: Kaldur sighed and slumped his shoulders; Conner shrugged and didn't care; M'gann was excited but trying to still show sympathy for Robin; Artemis was rolling her eyes and shooting Zatanna a look, who shrugged and smiled.

Robin, so tense his shoulders were trembling, gradually relaxed and shrugged, but not enough to knock Wally's arm off. "...yeah, alright."

The team moved into the family room, but Wally and Robin hung back. "You did fine, dude. You saved my butt, I owe you."

A little smile, but it was enough for right now. "Heck yeah, you do. I call remote privileges for a month."

"Dude!"

* * *

><p>Not a lot of people know or remember, but the Flash never really wanted a side-kick. He wanted his nephew to stay <em>his nephew<em>, not his apprentice, his side-kick, _Kid Flash_. He just wanted Wally to stay Wally.

Not a lot of people know, but sometimes Wally feels like the Flash _still_ doesn't want a side-kick, doesn't want _Kid Flash._ He loves his uncle, and the Flash is one of his heroes, and he knows Uncle Barry would never drop him, but sometimes... Wally really wishes he didn't remember.

Robin knows, though. Of course he knows.

"Wow, Wally, you're actually being quiet," Artemis remarked, brow raised and arms crossed, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Get turned down again?"

"Ha, ha," he said blandly, pulling a Superboy and watching the static behind "NO SIGNAL" move. "I'm not in the mood Artemis."

"I can tell, so what's-"

There was quite suddenly a Robin in the room, and Artemis jumped as the space between her and Kid Flash was suddenly taken up by a thirteen-year-old. "What's up is the TV's not working, and KF and I have three weeks of missed _World's Finest_ episodes to catch up on."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Zatanna and I are going out. Be in a better mood by the time we get back, Kid Weirdo."

Wally waved halfheartedly, and once she was gone, gave Robin a small smile. "Thanks. She's...not really my first choice to talk about _feelings_ with."

"I figured." Robin bumped their shoulders together. "Barry?"

"Blew me off again..."

* * *

><p><strong>3. <strong>

You have to know how to comfort your partner. When things get serious and people get hurt, sometimes you can't hold yourself up on your own, and your partner's meant to be there so you don't have to.

Mother's Day, and the team was fine with it. Kaldur treated his Queen with care that day, Artemis spent the day with her mom, M'gann had a _Hello, Megan!_ marathon with Conner ('cause how was _he_ supposed to have a Mother's Day...?) and Zatanna, and Wally was out most of the day with his parents. Robin was gone most of the day, too, but he was not in the best of moods when he came back.

"Are all mothers like that?" M'gann asked, pointing at the screen when Megan's mom gave her daughter a bear hug in episode twenty-one of _Hello, Megan!_ "It seems so wonderful..."

Conner scrunched up his nose while Zatanna laughed. "I guess so? Hey, Robin, what's your mom like?" She threw the question over her shoulder, hearing the other moving around the kitchen, and all three couch potatoes jumped when they heard something smash.

"She's fine," he answered, voice clipped, and _wow_, they had never seen him like that.

"Hey, guys, party's here!" Wally zipped in, oblivious to the atmosphere for all of half a second, before he caught sight of Robin's scowl and internally cringed. Okay, who had mentioned it? One quick glance at Robin's white knuckle grip on the counter and blank face told him Zatanna (because, well, Robin _likes_ Zatanna. Conner he can snap at, M'gann doesn't know much better... But Zatanna should).

"Hi, Wally," Robin muttered, letting go of the counter (and leaving dents, sweet Jesus.)

Wally just frowned and asked, "Gym?" Robin gave a curt nod, and both left the room.

Once the gym door closed behind them, Robin slumped against the wall with a sigh. "...I miss her."

Wally put an arm around his shoulders, tugging the Boy Wonder into a one-armed hug. "I know, man... I'm sorry..." The hug turned into a real one when Robin hugged him back, and a moment of silence passed. "Show me some circus moves?"

There was a small huff of laughter,a puff of air warming his neck. "Yeah, alright. I'll show you some of her signatures."

* * *

><p><em>"Blew me off again..."<em>

Dick frowned and pulled up his wrist computer, making sure the cameras were off and no one else was in before he tugged his shades off. "You mean for the movies? I thought you guys had it all planned..."

"We did," Wally said with a groan, slumping down in his seat and folding his arms over his chest. "But he had a 'last minute thing'..."

"Well," Dick said with a little smile. "Why don't we have a 'last minute thing?' I know I'm no Barry, but maybe Dick Grayson is cool enough to go to the movies with?"

He tried to fight off a smile, still wanted to be down about his uncle ignoring their plans, but he couldn't help it. He rarely, if ever, passed up a chance to hang out with _Dick Grayson_, his best friend, instead of _Robin_, the Boy Wonder. "..._Monster Mash Double Feature_? You buy snacks?"

Dick laughed and stood up. "Sure, just don't burn a hole in my wallet."

He really couldn't fight a grin now as he hopped up and sped them both out of Mount Justice. "No promises, Boy Wonderful."

* * *

><p><strong>4. <strong>

Jealousy, without a doubt, plays a part in any relationship, whether you want it to or not. You feel like you aren't spending enough time with your girlfriend; maybe she's spending a little too much time for your comfort with that new guy in her calculus class. You feel like your boyfriend's been texting that girl on his swim team a little too much, but you don't want to _say_ anything...

Part of a healthy relationship, though, is understanding jealousy is going to be there but not worrying about it.

Okay, so, maybe he and Wally hadn't been able to hang out a lot recently... He and Batman had a lot to do in Gotham, a lot of work that needed to be done, but damnit... He wanted to see his best friend!

Too bad his best friend was off hanging out with friggin' Red Arrow (_Speedy_, he thought sarcastically).

Robin took a deep breath and let it out, sitting in the family room at Mount Justice. Wally had said he'd be back soon, no big deal. Hell, Robin had been hanging out with Kaldur, actually, until the other had to leave to visit his home for a while. Robin understood that _best_ friend didn't mean _only_ friend, and Wally had to hang out with someone while he was out of town...

But, geez, would it kill him to hurry up? The fastest kid alive couldn't be punctual, could he?

"Here I am! You know, you grumble under your breath when you're annoyed, have you noticed?" There was suddenly a grinning Wally in front of him, and when did that happen? Robin lurched back, eyes wide behind his glasses, and Kid Ass laughed. "Jealous?" He asked, waggling his brows, and Robin snorted.

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

Wally plopped down on the couch next to him, wrapping his arms around his friend to drag him into an awkwardly positioned hug. "I missed you! I forgot how much of a killjoy Roy is; he's practically no fun compared to you!"

Robin hid a smile and awkwardly hugged his best friend back. Yeah, _best_ friend, because he was more fun than Roy. Ha!

* * *

><p>Wally watched Robin and Kaldur spar on the training circle, grades and tips flashing up without either paying them much attention. They were so focused on each other that Wally could have removed the fridge from the kitchen and put it in the room without them noticing.<p>

He huffed and crossed his arms, wondering why he and Robin never sparred or, _hell_, why he and _Kaldur_ never sparred. Was he just not sparring partner material?

"That's enough, boys," Black Canary told them, and they jumped apart, panting but grinning. "You can hit the showers." Kaldur bowed respectably to her before taking his leave, and Canary told Robin and Kid Flash to take a break for the night before leaving herself.

Robin grinned and waved his best friend over. "Alright, new moves, you have go to try these out."

Wally tried not to pout as he shuffled over. "What, ones Kaldur taught you? Sure I can do 'em?" He got a birdarang to the forehead for that and yelped. "Ow, dude! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot, now come practice with me before I turn this into a real fight!"

Wally resumed pouting, but hey, at least he was training with Robin now. "How come we never spar?" He asked as they got started, and Robin laughed his iconic, annoying laugh.

"Because, KF, I know all of your moves, and you know all of mine. Where's the fun in that?"

Oh.

Yeah.

* * *

><p><strong>5. <strong>

You can't help worrying about your partner, no matter how many times you tell yourself that they can handle themselves, that they don't need you defending them or looking out for them twenty-four seven. They're a big boy and a big girl, and they can take care of themselves. Doesn't make it any easier, but it helps.

Wally West, Kid Flash, may be the fastest kid alive, and he may have a metabolism so fast fat doesn't stand a chance and some pretty accelerated healing, but that's it. No other super powers to speak of besides speed and a big, science-y brain, and Robin knows first hand that you don't even need all _that_ to be a hero, but come on. It helps.

Robin may be young and small and non-meta, but he's far more experienced than Wally will ever be, and it scares him sometimes just how easily his best friend gets himself into trouble. The kid can run into bad guys with so little effort that sometimes Robin wants to lock him up and never let him out again.

"Okay, so that wasn't the smartest thing I could have done, but it worked out!" Wally said with a grin, limping slightly on a twisted ankle after a mission. Robin is stoney-faced, all _Boy Wonder_ and zero _Dick Grayson_. "Dude, come on, don't be mad..."

"I'm not mad," Robin hissed, eyes narrowing. "I'm _pissed off_. You almost got shot, Wally!"

"But I _didn't_. I can run faster than a speeding bullet, Robin, relax." Robin looks anything but, and Wally sighs, hobbling over to his best friend to ruffle his hair. He can see tiny tremors in the boy's arms, crossed tight over his chest, stance rigid, and Wally thinks to himself _oh, forget it_ and pulls the Boy Wonder into a hug. "I'm okay, Dick. No worries, alright?"

It's a testament to just how worried he must have been that Robin doesn't even correct him on using his name, just hugs him back as tight as he feels safe doing.

Wally West, Kid Flash, fastest kid alive needs as much worrying over as anyone else, no matter how often Robin tells himself that isn't true. He likes to think he's invincible, even though he definitely knows better.

* * *

><p>Sometimes it really hits him just how <em>small<em> Robin is. Talented hacker, acrobat, and side-kick to the Batman, sure, but the boy's _thirteen_ and _tiny_. Wally practically has panic attacks some nights, when it hits him again just how vulnerable his best friend really is.

He's seen the Boy Wonder take down baddies three times his size, super powered villains that would make anyone else wet their drawers, and Robin hasn't even batted an eye (or, at least, he assumes he hasn't. Mask and all). Wally knows, _knows_ that Robin can take care of himself. He's more capable than Wally is on his best days, but when it strikes him just how _young_ his best friend is, he can't help it.

He freaks out sometimes.

"KF, lay off! I'm fine!" Robin snapped for what had to be the millionth time. "It's some bruised ribs, not the end of the world. Now are you going to help me wrap them up, or do I have to do it myself?"

Wally's so nervous he's vibrating in place, hands shaking with slight tremors, because Robin's mid-section is black and blue and purple and looks _awful_, but Robin isn't even breathing irregularly, sitting a little hunched, sure, but he looks like the pain isn't even registering. Wally takes the offered bandages and helps his best friend wrap them around his ribs, and he slips up a few times, hands shaking and bandages getting tangled, but Robin doesn't say a word about it. He just pulls Wally down into a hug when they're finished and lets the boy shake it out until he's still and calmer and less freaked out about just how tiny and young and hurt his best friend it.

It's hard to remember sometimes that Robin is _the_ Boy Wonder, that Dick Grayson trained as an acrobat practically before he could walk, and that he's received the best physical training money can literally buy from the friggin' _Batman_. Wally can't help it. He worries.

* * *

><p><strong>+1<strong>

Wally and Dick had noticed a long time ago just how, ah..._close_ they were. It was hard not to. Half the things they did, they caught Conner and M'gann doing (although, they weren't the best example of a normal couple, were they?), and although it was awkward as all get out at first, they grew to realize that, hey, what the hell. They were practically dating anyway, weren't they?

They knew exactly what to do for one another exactly when they needed to do it; they could read each others faces like open books; they could comfort each other over anything; they got jealous over spending too much time with other people but realized that _didn't matter_; and they worried about each other more often than they worried about themselves.

* * *

><p>The team was mildly confused, so say the least. Robin, their thirteen-year-old little talented brat and Wally, KF, their flirty little science geek? No way.<p>

Kaldur's surprised with himself, to be honest. He had seen M'gann and Conner so easily, but he'd thought, surely, that it would be Artemis with Wally...

Artemis thinks it's hilarious, even if her stomach is cramping, and she can feel disappointment in her gut like a bunch of sour grapes. Zatanna is torn between comforting her friend (in denial, too) and finding the sight absolutely adorable.

Conner couldn't care less. For once, he was ahead of the game. He and his super hearing have known for _months_.

There, on the couch, were Robin and Wally, both asleep with the younger lying over the older, Wally's chest a pillow and his arms around Robin's waist. You couldn't exactly call the pose _platonic_.

Robin stirred first, blinking blearily and catching sight of the team's reflection in the TV screen. He quickly pushed his shades back on before turning his head to look at them and smirked sleepily. "Hey, guys."

Wally yawned and stretched his arms over his head, rubbing his eyes. "Rob...?" He mumbled, squinting at his best friend on his chest. Robin just turned Wally's head for him over to the team, who all awkwardly waved in unison. "Oh. Hey, guys."

"Are we just supposed to pretend you two _aren't_ cuddling?" Artemis asked, brow raised, and Wally and Robin shared a look.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes.<strong>

It's not my best, but I just love the Kid Flash/Robin bromance so much! It vaguely turned into romance there at the end, which is fine, but I'd intended for it to be a _lot_ more romantic, actually. These two just don't want to cooperate with me, though.

I have some other YJ stuff lined up that aren't quite finished yet, but expect it in the near future!


End file.
